Golden State Warriors vs Charlotte Hornets Box Score on Dec 06, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 6, 2017

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kevin Durant had 35 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Golden State Warriors -- minus Stephen Curry and Draymond Green -- beat the Charlotte Hornets 101-87 at the Spectrum Center on Wednesday night.

The Warriors (20-6) won their fifth straight and the seventh in their last eight games.

They rolled to a 48-22 lead in the second quarter and never trailed. Charlotte got as close as seven midway through the fourth quarter but the Warriors pushed the lead back up to as many as 16 again from there.

Durant had 16 points in the first quarter, quickly setting the tone for the game. He finished 13 of 28 from the field and hit three 3-pointers. It was the ninth triple-double of his career.

The Warriors also got 22 points from Klay Thompson and 10 points from Nick Young.

The game was supposed to be Curry's annual homecoming game in Charlotte, but Curry could not play after suffering a sprained ankle in New Orleans on Monday night. The Warriors say there is no structural damage to the ankle and Curry will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Green was a late scratch because of a shoulder injury.

The Hornets (9-14) lost for the fifth time in their last six games. They were without coach Steve Clifford, who missed his second game with an undisclosed illness.

Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 24 points. Nicolas Batum scored 15 and Dwight Howard 14.

Golden State led 26-18 after one quarter, 53-38 at halftime and 79-68 after three quarters.

NOTES: The Hornets issued a statement Wednesday that said coach Steve Clifford would be away from the team "for the immediate future" to address health concerns. They did not identify the health issue. ... Clifford missed time in 2013 to undergo a heart procedure, but published reports said his current issue is not heart-related. ... The Warriors' 125-115 victory at New Orleans on Monday, when they rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit, made them the first team in the shot-clock era to rally from 20-point halftime deficits to win twice in the same season. They also rallied from 20 down to beat Philadelphia last month. ... The Hornets were completely healthy for the first time all season. ... The Hornets were coming off a 104-94 victory over Orlando on Monday. ... The Warriors were playing the fourth contest of a five-game road trip. They will close out the trip Friday at Detroit. ... The Hornets were playing the second contest of a four-game homestand. They will host Chicago on Friday, and the L.A. Lakers on Saturday.